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Old 05-21-2019, 06:12 PM
elasticman elasticman is offline
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Default would you consider this J15 a "blem"

or is it just a unique grain pattern? I would not call the back bookmatched.

I'm considering this very instrument (I'm a lefty and beggars cant be choosers) - but would you pay full retail for this PARTICULAR instrument? Not the J15 in general.



the fingerboard looks sort of odd as well

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Old 05-21-2019, 06:18 PM
AndrewG AndrewG is offline
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Looks interesting-and different. I like it and I don't consider what wood does naturally, a blemish. If it plays good and sounds good, buy it.
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Old 05-21-2019, 06:53 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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It's just the wood grain on those particular pieces of walnut. The light streak down the middle of the back and on one edge is sapwood, while the lighter wood on the fingerboard is just what the grain on that piece of walnut happens to look like.

So, no, I wouldn't consider those to be blemishes. They don't have any impact on the tone at all, and are just how that wood looks.


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Old 05-21-2019, 07:05 PM
stormin1155 stormin1155 is offline
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I really like the fingerboard. It has character. I'm sure there are plenty of folks where that would be a deal breaker. The back? I'm not sure it would be called a blem, but if I were the builder, I wouldn't have chosen that back set, and as a buyer, I'd probably pass on it. It seems that on a premium guitar like a Gibson you should expect some degree of uniformity on a bookmatched back set.
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Old 05-21-2019, 07:10 PM
Bridgepin Bridgepin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AndrewG View Post
Looks interesting-and different. I like it and I don't consider what wood does naturally, a blemish. If it plays good and sounds good, buy it.

Yes sir I agree.
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Old 05-21-2019, 07:22 PM
Paddy1951 Paddy1951 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elasticman View Post
or is it just a unique grain pattern? I would not call the back bookmatched.



I'm considering this very instrument (I'm a lefty and beggars cant be choosers) - but would you pay full retail for this PARTICULAR instrument? Not the J15 in general.







the fingerboard looks sort of odd as well



In a word... No, it is not a blem. Walnut can be a somewhat unusual wood in appearance in that it can have many appearances. This guitar is unique. Be more concerned for how it sounds. If it sounds good, if you like how it sounds, go for it.
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Old 05-21-2019, 07:40 PM
Sax Player Guy Sax Player Guy is offline
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Looks pretty darned cool to me, especially the fretboard. The neck looks black, instead of the usual blonde maple. What is the deal with that?

EDIT: Nevermind-- I just looked it up on Sweetwater. I guess the bursts have a mahogany neck. That guitar looks sweet to me!
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Old 05-21-2019, 07:59 PM
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DenverSteve DenverSteve is offline
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Nope. That's one gorgeous guitar. Having owned and played J-15's, I'm sure it sounds as good as it looks.
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Old 05-21-2019, 08:05 PM
tigobah tigobah is offline
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The fingerboard is simply a piece of walnut that was cut out of the junction of heartwood and sapwood. The sapwood is the lighter color and nearer the outside of the tree.
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Old 05-21-2019, 08:08 PM
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I think it really looks good. The J-15 is a great guitar, congrats.
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Old 05-21-2019, 08:11 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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In a world of production 'sameness' it has it's own unique look ... in other words, yes it's a Gibson J15 but wow look how different it is ... and I'd be really happy with that.
Nice one.
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Old 05-21-2019, 08:34 PM
elasticman elasticman is offline
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thanks for all the replies. I didnt realize Walnut had such variation.

Googled "walnut sapwood" and came across all sorts of beautiful images.

feeling good about this one. Going to pull the trigger Thanks, enablers!
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Old 05-21-2019, 08:42 PM
mercy mercy is offline
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Traditionally guitar sets have been symmetrical so the back is not attractive nor standard. It would have to be the only guitar that I could buy for me. Sapwood is a bonus feature so theres nothing wrong with that but I wouldnt buy any guitar with a walnut fingerboard unless you plan to just play it a few years. It is too soft for a fingerboard. The variegated colors on it I do like the looks of but playing it would be distracting and so being distracted it would slow me down. Its a guitar for those that dont know any better.
You asked so Im trying to help you with the info you want.
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Old 05-21-2019, 08:49 PM
Larry Mal Larry Mal is offline
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I will bet that if you put some kind of fretboard oil on that fingerboard then the grain will pop even more, and look fantastic. I've been noticing that the lower end Gibson acoustics come out pretty dry (well, the electrics also) and need a bit of oil. I guess it's a way of saving money out there, but the good news is, your fingerboard will look great.
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Old 05-21-2019, 08:56 PM
Paddy1951 Paddy1951 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mercy View Post
Traditionally guitar sets have been symmetrical so the back is not attractive nor standard. It would have to be the only guitar that I could buy for me. Sapwood is a bonus feature so theres nothing wrong with that but I wouldnt buy any guitar with a walnut fingerboard unless you plan to just play it a few years. It is too soft for a fingerboard. The variegated colors on it I do like the looks of but playing it would be distracting and so being distracted it would slow me down. Its a guitar for those that dont know any better.

You asked so Im trying to help you with the info you want.
One thing about the walnut fretboard...
Walnut isn't as hard as ebony or rosewood but the wood being used doesn't feel soft to me on any of the J 15s I have tried.
The Janka hardness ratings are not absolute. Some trees can produce harder wood or softer wood.

To me it feels like the wood chosen for the fretboards is harder.

Another thing to think about is that not everybody uses the same amount of pressure when fretting. I would not at all assume that you would only get a few years of playing from a walnut fretboard.

A good question is how hard does the wood have to be? Then there is the question of how much the fretboard wood contributes to the sound of the guitar?
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